Bad beat/Moaning/Venting thread - Wordle Gummidge

[Ed]

Going to my first gig in 18 months tonight and the Ireland game tomorrow, a bit of normality is nice!

[Strewelpeter]

Spreadsheet tells me i was playing average of 25 online games a month during lockdown which has slowly whittled down to playing 4 in July & 0 in August just gone. Will still play the odd Festival live but not until masks are gone. Like I see the IPO is advertised for October BH weekend but cant see it being maskless surely??

It is going to a fair bit of adjustment to get to a place where one would choose to sit around a table with randomers sneezing and splurting over cards and chips in an airless room. Going to be a very difficult road back to a place where enough people are ready and willing to embrace the grimness.

[Goodluck2me]

It is going to a fair bit of adjustment to get to a place where one would choose to sit around a table with randomers sneezing and splurting over cards and chips in an airless room. Going to be a very difficult road back to a place where enough people are ready and willing to embrace the grimness.

Yeah and masks are utterly pointless given the sharing of cards and chips etc. The only good thing is that hand sanitizer has become more prevalent when you see the bathroom hygiene of so many players never mind COVID.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Poker forum on Facebook i think

Linky?

[RichieM]

I feel slightly influenced by my ten years in the UK, where, to the detriment of the country the media set the national agenda rather than politicians. Leading to the rise of media favourites like Johnson as he gives good copy. Historically, for right or for wrong, the Irish media has been less intrusive. I think we've a better country as a result. I also think the rise of a British party in Irish politics has introduced a lot of these British ways of thinking.

Describing sf as a British party is technically correct and hilarious.

Please do this on Twitter.

[Kayroo]

Those huddles on the steps are for dramatic effect to impress the plebs right? Surely all is provisionally agreed before hand and ye are just haggling over who will pay for dinner in The Greenhouse?

No, they're real and very necessary. There's a direct correlation between how close someone is to having to go into a witness box and how willing they are to settle an action.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Those huddles on the steps are for dramatic effect to impress the plebs right? Surely all is provisionally agreed before hand and ye are just haggling over who will pay for dinner in The Greenhouse?

There are offers tendered before that but not too serious and it depends on the case I'd say, sometimes the sides have quite differing opinions on a case and what it is worth. They are quite likely to settle with a date looming than not. I'm told it can be a short meeting or a quite long one and mine was somewhere in the middle, it started off with us saying why did I bother taking the day off work to them coming around to our POV after a long back and forth. They have to call and discuss with the insurance company if we change their mind on anything - the insurance needs to be convinced of it I guess, and sign off on it. They also want to see what the witness would be like, looking at them interact across the steps and talk, or in my case mostly just laugh as usual and talk about music or whatever. Their doctors also reported back on what kind of person I was.

Have to say my SC was excellent and mostly countered with "yes fair point but you know how much that is going to cost you?" Not from a just more money to me kinda way but each doctor costing 5k per day in court, legal fees, cost to add something to the case, getting me tested more and so on. The whole process is quite long (mine took over 5 years). It's a very strange experience, and I don't know how they should do it better but landing on the steps of the court to discuss it before a trial seems a waste of resources, but I can see their reasons strategically for it from both sides.

One thing I noticed is there are definitely doctors that are very pro either side and being able to choose them seems quite a flaw? I looked up one of the doctors I went to and it was all articles in newspapers about how he thought personal injury claims are nonsense, and has effectively retired just to do court appearances for insurance companies downplaying injuries and saying people are imagining them or just doing them for court, or that the pressure of a case is getting to them. Then you go to a guy sitting in the room next to him who says the injuries are very real as he is hired by the other side. Not to mention each of these 5 minute meetings with doctors cost €700 and you can do dozens of them.

[dinekes]

Not sure I would want to play live poker again, maybe a festival now and again. Apart from all the grimness reasons Its always to much hassle. Driving out and squashed in 10 to a table, waiting an hour for a cash omaha game, ridiculous rake etc
And the interminable waiting for posers to play their fucking hands and it's nearly always a fold preceded by their serious stare bullshit. No dont miss it at all.

Fire up online, watch a film and make a few quid in the comfort of your own home infinitely preferable.

[Dice75]

Not sure I would want to play live poker again, maybe a festival now and again. Apart from all the grimness reasons Its always to much hassle. Driving out and squashed in 10 to a table, waiting an hour for a cash omaha game, ridiculous rake etc
And the interminable waiting for posers to play their fucking hands and it's nearly always a fold preceded by their serious stare bullshit. No dont miss it at all.

Fire up online, watch a film and make a few quid in the comfort of your own home infinitely preferable.

Pffft you're doing it wrong. Play a few hands, win a chunk of chips, check blind levels and see how long you can stay in the bar till you're blinded back to average stack. Rince and repeat.

@hitch i cant find it on FB but details were still sparse when i saw it.

[Guest]

Going to my first gig in 18 months tonight and the Ireland game tomorrow, a bit of normality is nice!

Enjoy wearing a mask outside at an event will
never be normal to me. Nor should it be fuck the new normal

[Solksjaer!]

All Ireland football tickets . The odds on getting 2?

[Ed]

Enjoy wearing a mask outside at an event will
never be normal to me. Nor should it be fuck the new normal

I have enjoyed this poem. Thank you.

[Dice75]

All Ireland football tickets . The odds on getting 2?

11/8

[Lao Lao]

Great idea and review. Hope to see more of these.

Tried to get an overnight stay/18 course tasting booking for December for Aimsir when the window opened at noon on Wednesday.

Received email at 11.58, read it at 12.09, jumped on immediately and all gone.

Must try harder.

It's madness, I tried to book Aimsir when they launched there overnight stay and tasting menu a while back - Can't remember if it was for July/Aug/Sept or Aug/Sept/Oct and every Friday and Sat was booked out in under 30 seconds with every other date gone within a few minutes.

It was going to be for Mrs Lao Lao's birthday later this month so have had to rethink it. Just need to figure out what the fuck to buy her now - Only 3 weeks to go

[Solksjaer!]

11/8

I have the 8 handy

[Solksjaer!]

Enjoy wearing a mask outside at an event will
never be normal to me. Nor should it be fuck the new normal

Be great for shy singers at gigs . Sing away happily to the hits of the day

[hotspur]

I'm going to a poker home game tomorrow with old card playing friends. Fairly sure all are intelligent enough not to have to worry about anti-vaxers.

[AndyFatBastard]

Pffft you're doing it wrong. Play a few hands, win a chunk of chips, check blind levels and see how long you can stay in the bar till you're blinded back to average stack. Rince and repeat.

@hitch i cant find it on FB but details were still sparse when i saw it.

GTO strats in the BBV? Well I never.

[dinekes]

Pffft you're doing it wrong. Play a few hands, win a chunk of chips, check blind levels and see how long you can stay in the bar till you're blinded back to average stack. Rince and repeat.

@hitch i cant find it on FB but details were still sparse when i saw it.

Actually the bar is great crack. Remember one IO there was a huge group of assorted degens in the bar, arm wrestling challenges going on (me included) ....may have degenerated into actual wrestling around the 4am mark at which point the guards were called.
Return to omaha game (victorious but with sore arm) get all the loots in with a rundown v Fish and snaffle a decent pot with no pair and 9 high in my hand!

[dobby]

Enjoy wearing a mask outside at an event will
never be normal to me. Nor should it be fuck the new normal

Been to a fair amount of outdoor events recently. All GAA or soccer matches and have had to wear a mask only once. At one of the first few games back at an.over cautious Thurles.

Every other event I've seen from friends and family posting pics at gigs or whatever, they're not wearing masks. No need when its outside but people still have the choice to wear them if they want and I dont see the problem with that.

If you dont want to wear a mask at an outdoor event, dont. It's very simple.

[dobby]

All Ireland football tickets . The odds on getting 2?

[Guest]

I'm going to a poker home game tomorrow with old card playing friends. Fairly sure all are intelligent enough not to have to worry about anti-vaxers.

Why would you worry or be bothered by antivaxxers? Enjoy the game do you need covid cert to enter ?

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

jaysus that salami is ridiculously good. what the fuck is that crap on sale in regular shops?

[Raoul Duke III]

jaysus that salami is ridiculously good. what the fuck is that crap on sale in regular shops?

hooked

I'm going to put it on pizza tonight. Will be orgasmic imo.

[Raoul Duke III]

I'm going to a poker home game tomorrow with old card playing friends. Fairly sure all are intelligent enough not to have to worry about anti-vaxers.

Are you putting some IPBers on notice here?

[Solksjaer!]

didnt take long . looks like I'll have 2. Tickets Not for me though of course , social media has its uses . Now I'm a hero.

11/8 was probably right.

[Raoul Duke III]

It's madness, I tried to book Aimsir when they launched there overnight stay and tasting menu a while back - Can't remember if it was for July/Aug/Sept or Aug/Sept/Oct and every Friday and Sat was booked out in under 30 seconds with every other date gone within a few minutes.

It was going to be for Mrs Lao Lao's birthday later this month so have had to rethink it. Just need to figure out what the fuck to buy her now - Only 3 weeks to go

I've been asking Mrs D3 for weeks what she would like for her birthday (tomorrow). As usual, she can't think of anything so I can only assume being married to me is its own reward.

Going to Mamo (best restaurant in Howth imo) for lunch though which should be nice.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

I've been asking Mrs D3 for weeks what she would like for her birthday (tomorrow). As usual, she can't think of anything so I can only assume being married to me is its own reward.

Going to Mamo (best restaurant in Howth imo) for lunch though which should be nice.

€200 pyjamas dude. I fail to see how this isn't more widely known.

[Raoul Duke III]

€200 pyjamas dude. I fail to see how this isn't more widely known.

It's one of my Life Rules:

1. never buy a woman clothes, you have no domain expertise

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

You start with the female kids, make the mistakes there, then work you way up. Next thing you know you're Franc.

[Raoul Duke III]

You start with the female kids, make the mistakes there, then work you way up. Next thing you know you're Franc.

The daughters do like going shopping with me but I suspect that is only because I let them choose whatever the hell they want rather than my stylistic suggestions.

[Mellor]

Describing sf as a British party is technically correct and hilarious.

Please do this on Twitter.

I was struggling to figure out who he was referring to.
Im still struggling to see how SF are British?

Assuming it’s a bit more sophisticated NI = British, as you took the time to day technically correct.


agree that Hitch should take it to Twitter regardless.

[coillcam]

I'm going to a poker home game tomorrow with old card playing friends. Fairly sure all are intelligent enough not to have to worry about anti-vaxers.

There's been one regular 1/2 game running down this direction for last few months in some lads gaff. I only seen it from an insta story. Obviously there's been loads of them happening round the country when you consider the amount of parties.

I wonder is there a gap in the poker/casino game as things open back up. Loads of places looked to have closed doors permanently. Maybe festivals/events will become more popular.

[coillcam]

I was struggling to figure out who he was referring to.
Im still struggling to see how SF are British?

Assuming it’s a bit more sophisticated NI = British, as you took the time to day technically correct.


agree that Hitch should take it to Twitter regardless.

I had to google this. Apparently, they originally wanted a dual-monarchy arrangement when they were first founded in 1905. I never heard of dual-monarchy prior to this but essentially Ireland would have been sovereign for the most part but the head of state would be the monarch and the military forces combined. Some sort of customs union also would exist. That original iteration of SF never got any traction and it kinda re-established a few laters later before 1916 rising.

I wonder how many of the current SF gang would be happy to bend the knee to the king/queen

[dobby]

didnt take long . looks like I'll have 2. Tickets Not for me though of course , social media has its uses . Now I'm a hero.

11/8 was probably right.

If you're being genuine, fair play. If you come across 1 more I'll take it. I've a lad from Mayo finding it impossible to get one and have maxed out all my contacts so far. He did me a turn for the 2019 final so would be great to repay the favour to him.

[Lao Lao]

I've been asking Mrs D3 for weeks what she would like for her birthday (tomorrow). As usual, she can't think of anything so I can only assume being married to me is its own reward.

Going to Mamo (best restaurant in Howth imo) for lunch though which should be nice.

I made that mistake as well - The response from Mrs Lao Lao was 'A house'

It's a significant birthday so I was thinking of a swanky holiday - Either US or maybe Oz as she hasn't seen her sister in almost two years. Thing about that is, I've no idea when we will actually be able to get into Oz without quarantining and I'm not sure travelling to the US is a much more appealing option at the minute either.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

I was struggling to figure out who he was referring to.
Im still struggling to see how SF are British?

Assuming it’s a bit more sophisticated NI = British, as you took the time to day technically correct.


agree that Hitch should take it to Twitter regardless.

NI=British. I think, genuinely, that despite their raison d'etre they have been trained in British politics, and not Irish politics, and that seeps through to how they think

[DeeBrown]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thei...98218603547095

iPO intends to go ahead from Oct. 20th through 25th.
Whether this holds up in lieu of the full easing of restrictions on 22nd remains to be seen.

Paddy Power have a festival planned for Galway from Jan. 27th - 30th.
They're already running satellites online
and live one off events are planned around Ireland beforehand
although details for those games haven't been released yet for obvious reasons.

When card rooms will reopen is still unclear.
Theoretically this could be the 6th but even if that were true
I'd assume casinos would see the 60% of capacity limit
as a reason to exclude Poker in favour of the more lucrative table games.

Jp's place in Tallaght were prepared to run games at times during the COViD pandemic
so I'd assume they'll be among the first to open their doors.

[Theresa]

Funny you mention the PM grind, I had someone make a similar comment recently. Actually I ended up skulling one into a small tree at the weekend. Thankfully that stopped it short of a water hazard or going 100 yards OB! I do love them though. The 54 gets used more than any other wedge. The 58 is a cheat club for the bunker tbh - the big head, wide sole and bounce can clear the sand so well. I've actually holed out 3x times from the bunker this year. I never really hit a near a full 58, just chips, bunkers and open face for flops or fluffy rough. I really wanna try a new Scotty or Odyssey mallet but I do love my old 2ball so can't see the point in changing it just yet.

Distance isn't the problem for me tbh. Only one hole I regularly don't have a chance for GIR (more so bad tee shot but I'd have 200-220 in even with an ideal drive). I carry around 240-260 range for a stock drive. The 3 wood is about 220-230 and hybrid 205. My main problem is that I will top/slice/duck hook 2 tee shots per round. I have no idea if it's mental, concentration or fatigue. Genuinely I just feel it's normal amateur golf, especially at my level. Unfortunately, this often results in a reload. However, I consistently lose more shots fluting around inside 30 yards tbh. Putting in particular needs most work. I'm not too bad for chipping/pitching if I have a little practice before a round.

Mid seventies is serious scoring. You're not doing too much wrong lad. Out of curiosity have you ever bothered with lessons in last few years?

I just ordered 3x dozen SEED balls this evening as I ran out. The best bang for the buck out there. It's longer than ProV1/x and matches it spin wise. The good news is that it's half the price and an Irish company.

I've had the PM grind a while back and honestly its only really usable on soft lies. Any sort of hard lies and the grind just bounces the club into the ball. Mentally, for me, skullfucking a ball is as disastrous as a flub or a 3 putt so I took it out of the bag ha.

We have the same problem, and its always driver. And it's always right. And its purely the result of a concentration/focus thing for me. I know how to not hit it right, and sometimes due to play speed, chatting, mental check out, it just happens.

I played with a +5 cap and a +3 cap last weekend, they shot a combined 8 under. The one thing that stood out to me that was very very different was their level of focus before every shot. It was worlds apart of mine. There was no chit chat, there was 40 seconds of focus.

I got lessons this year, and it was game changing. It's hilarious how counter intuitive the golf swing is until someone puts you in the mechanical position and says "get back to here", I had a massive early extension/flipping issue (like everyone does I suppose) but when I started to focus specifically on hands through impact it quite literally got me from a 5 to a .05 cap. I've regressed a bit now to a 3 again, but thats due to lack of practice lately.

Will pick up some SEED balls when I get home. A similar thing here is Costco offer their own brand (kirkland) wedges, they match vokeys for spin rate and distance... but only for 15 rounds, then its like hitting the ball with a paddle.

I'm planning on getting back in Nov for a wedding, if there is any decent courses open on non temp greens we should get out, I'd be willing to travel!

[RichieM]

I was struggling to figure out who he was referring to.
Im still struggling to see how SF are British?

Assuming it’s a bit more sophisticated NI = British, as you took the time to day technically correct.


agree that Hitch should take it to Twitter regardless.

No that’s it, they don’t turn up to Westminster but that’s where the have held seats for a long time. The technically correct is because they are very anti British despite it all.

[ArmaniJeans]

We voted in a referendum for the right of all NI people to regard themselves and be regarded as Irish or British or both as of their choosing. (may not be exact wording but close).
So it's not really technically correct to refer to SF as a British party.
Anyway 'Britain' as in the UKofGB&NI refers to an island that NI is definitely not part of.

[RichieM]

We voted in a referendum for the right of all NI people to regard themselves and be regarded as Irish or British or both as of their choosing. (may not be exact wording but close).
So it's not really technically correct to refer to SF as a British party.
Anyway 'Britain' as in the UKofGB&NI refers to an island that NI is definitely not part of.

I stand corrected. Still would be funny to see the Twitter responses.

[ArmaniJeans]

Taxi driver was playing the news and it's maybe the first time in a decade I've listened to the Irish news, since ditching the telly. They were just going on and on about this Zappone story like it meant something vital. I think it'll be at least another decade before I'm going near that crap again. It genuinely seems harmful to be making such a big deal of such a small story when there's so much to be done in the country. Like the lack of housing and the announcement today - that should have been dissected - of 300k houses. That's what the national attention should be on - on building the future.

Previously competent government politician seems to be in a corner and making up stories on the fly.
"I cleaned my phone because I was hacked" is up there with the dog ate my homework.
I'm guessing the journalists and the dail committee politicians are getting the next set of questions ready.
He says his phone was hacked and used to contact other european politicians. What does this mean? Was it 'hacked' in the Nigerian phishing sense, or perhaps did they find MI5/FSB had a trace on it? Or did his 6 year old nephew enter 1,2,3,4 as a pin code and text 'smelly bum' to Angela M?
Was the hack reported to the guards? Did he delete and re-install his apps when he discovered this hack, a much more important thing than deleting text messages. Don't lie here, because it will be easily found out.

And still the question is 'why Zappone?' The party lost 12 seats in the last election, so why was this UN role created for some random independent who made up the numbers in the last government, but is now so unpopular she's unlikely to get near a Dail seat again. Why not do it instead for one of the 12 FGers who lost their seat, or the Senators who couldn't be reappointed, or some long-serving party councillor? What's she got that she needs to be looked after.

You can call it a nothing story compared to the housing announcement, but I know which story Lester Freamon would have on his board.

[ComradeCollie]

Was looking for something else, and came upon another oldie from Andrey. Nostalgia and what not

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2mkZYRb]

[DeadParrot]

€200 pyjamas dude. I fail to see how this isn't more widely known.

Pretty sure I touted these before but instead of€200 jammers, get a jammer mystery box subscription.
https://www.bluspjsbox.com/
Happy wife guaranteed at least one day a month.
Cheap at twice the price

[Raoul Duke III]

And still the question is 'why Zappone?' The party lost 12 seats in the last election, so why was this UN role created for some random independent who made up the numbers in the last government, but is now so unpopular she's unlikely to get near a Dail seat again. Why not do it instead for one of the 12 FGers who lost their seat, or the Senators who couldn't be reappointed, or some long-serving party councillor? What's she got that she needs to be looked after.

Unlike, say, nominating an EU Commissioner which carries a whopping and tax-free salary, this role surely has no financial benefit.
So it's purely ceremonial (someone more cynical than I might call it tokenism).

It is understood Zappone is set to earn €13,000-€15,000 before tax, as the salary is on a pro rata basis

[dinekes]

Girl on the news gushing about her great LC results.

"I couldn't be more happier"

I take it English wasnt one of them.

[ArmaniJeans]

Unlike, say, nominating an EU Commissioner which carries a whopping and tax-free salary, this role surely has no financial benefit.
So it's purely ceremonial (someone more cynical than I might call it tokenism).

It is understood Zappone is set to earn €13,000-€15,000 before tax, as the salary is on a pro rata basis

Interesting way of doing the maths.
€300 per day before expenses based on an estimate of 50 days work. Look, it's not a fortune by any means, but calling it a €15K 'salary' strikes me as attempt to hide that it's just over two months of work.

‘We look like fools’ – TDs upset at how Katherine Zappone was given job as free speech envoy - Independent.ie
Ms Zappone will be paid around €300 a day before expenses based on 50 days per year, according to Mr Coveney’s spokesman, which he suggested was linked to the salary of a Principal Officer salary.

[ComradeCollie]

Girl on the news gushing about her great LC results.

"I couldn't be more happier"

I take it English wasnt one of them.

It's an evolving language. I've been recently annoyed about how people are pronouncing µ.

[Strewelpeter]

DeadParrot If the cap fits...

[Raoul Duke III]

Interesting way of doing the maths.
€300 per day before expenses based on an estimate of 50 days work. Look, it's not a fortune by any means, but calling it a €15K 'salary' strikes me as attempt to hide that it's just over two months of work.

‘We look like fools’ – TDs upset at how Katherine Zappone was given job as free speech envoy - Independent.ie
Ms Zappone will be paid around €300 a day before expenses based on 50 days per year, according to Mr Coveney’s spokesman, which he suggested was linked to the salary of a Principal Officer salary.

I think we can both agree 15k is fuck all when set in the context of living in NYC?

[ArmaniJeans]

I think we can both agree 15k is fuck all when set in the context of living in NYC?

Well, you obviously wouldn't move to NY for it, but when you happen to be living in NY anyway then it's not so bad. Presumably she saw it being a door that led to bigger things.
Are you not intrigued why Coveney went to bat for her re this role?

[Raoul Duke III]

Well, you obviously wouldn't move to NY for it, but when you happen to be living in NY anyway then it's not so bad. Presumably she saw it being a door that led to bigger things.
Are you not intrigued why Coveney went to bat for her re this role?

Same shit that happens with every similar role/quango I would have thought? I don't think there's any spiders web conspiracy theory there.

[Raoul Duke III]

If you put the handing out of patronage in the hands of politicians, they're going to patronise.

Look at the Lotto funding for the constituencies of Shane Ross and John O'Donoghue for example. Or the lootz McCreevy shipped into racing. etc etc

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Well, you obviously wouldn't move to NY for it, but when you happen to be living in NY anyway then it's not so bad. Presumably she saw it being a door that led to bigger things.
Are you not intrigued why Coveney went to bat for her re this role?

Why do you find it intriguing?

It's one of literally hundreds of positions at the gift of politicians. Certain media have focused in on this one small position because it highlights an 'otherliness'. The lesbian swanning around New York having her soirees. They're not like us, they're different. Her and Leo in it together. Messaging each other jokes. That's precisely why it's newsworthy - or why people find it newsworthy, and, sadly, why you find it intriguing whether you realise it or not.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

If SF take office there will be hundreds of positions that change from FF FG pals to SF pals. Each of those a bigger version of Zappone, as any political party structure needs something to hand out. I don't think any of it is corruption. I do think the lobbying, becoming a lobbyist, is innately corrupt though.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

We voted in a referendum for the right of all NI people to regard themselves and be regarded as Irish or British or both as of their choosing. (may not be exact wording but close).
So it's not really technically correct to refer to SF as a British party.
Anyway 'Britain' as in the UKofGB&NI refers to an island that NI is definitely not part of.

They are British trained. All of their political initiation was about interacting with UK politicians, institutional structures, and media. Clearly this has influenced their approaches. That's why we've seen this big rise of gotcha politics in recent years as SF become more powerful as they import the lessons they learned in that system. UK politics is absolutely putrid. Its people taking for months about the way someone ate a bacon sandwich, or insignificant ad hoc appointments take up more media space than national infrastructure debates. Everything is a distraction.

[ComradeCollie]

They are British trained. All of their political initiation was about interacting with UK politicians, institutional structures, and media. Clearly this has influenced their approaches. That's why we've seen this big rise of gotcha politics in recent years as SF become more powerful as they import the lessons they learned in that system. UK politics is absolutely putrid. Its people taking for months about the way someone ate a bacon sandwich, or insignificant ad hoc appointments take up more media space than national infrastructure debates. Everything is a distraction.

Take it to twitter. The place where people who miss talking shite on a barstool can pretend they don't remember the shite they were talking because they'd had a few too many.

[Raoul Duke III]

Why do you find it intriguing?

It's one of literally hundreds of positions at the gift of politicians. Certain media have focused in on this one small position because it highlights an 'otherliness'. The lesbian swanning around New York having her soirees. They're not like us, they're different. Her and Leo in it together. Messaging each other jokes. That's precisely why it's newsworthy - or why people find it newsworthy, and, sadly, why you find it intriguing whether you realise it or not.

I really don't get any sense of that.

Treat the topic on its merits rather than trying to ascribe sinister motives.

[The Istanbul]

Spreadsheet tells me i was playing average of 25 online games a month during lockdown which has slowly whittled down to playing 4 in July & 0 in August just gone. Will still play the odd Festival live but not until masks are gone. Like I see the IPO is advertised for October BH weekend but cant see it being maskless surely??

Played first live game in Portlaw a few weeks ago. Maskless in the room and worked great. Nice pot 2 with 43 entries a €100 a skull. It is now on every Sunday at 3